Red Berets and the Floating Fortress
Sergeant: Baek Jaesung
We arrived safely at the assembly point. Dawn was just breaking. The military band was waiting for us there.
Parapapapam~!
A blaring trumpet fanfare blasted out alongside a rowdy military march. The honor guard formed an archway with their dress sabers slung over their shoulders.
"Makes my chest swell with pride for real!"
A smile spread across Hwang Cheolmin's face. At the front stood a general with four stars on his chest, wearing a sharply angled beret.
This was the Special Operations Command commander. Alongside the army, navy, and air force, the Special Ops Command's rank went up to admiral. Thanks to hunters, Special Ops had serious pull in the military.
Starting with us, the other teams arrived one by one. With Jang Gun-gi's team showing up last, our graduation ceremony kicked off.
"With your unyielding spirit of perseverance and noble patriotism, you hunters gave your all in training. Allow me to express my gratitude..."
The pointless preamble dragged on forever. After about twenty minutes of the commander's empty ramblings, we finally got our red berets. Dungeon hunters received sergeant rank insignias, while regular hunters got corporal ones.
"With this, you are officially members of the 1st Landing Battalion. Please carry that proud resolve in your hearts forever. Once more, congratulations on your graduation!"
"""Wooo!"""
With the ceremony over, we tossed our berets in the air and cheered. Sujin darted over and hugged me tight.
"Hehe! Jaesung, you did it!"
"You too."
Watching us, the guys slinked toward Yeonji, Jueun, or the other girls.
If they thought they'd score a celebratory free hug, they were dead wrong. Even Hwang Cheolmin that bastard sneaked a glance before heading to Rina. Guy's got a girlfriend and he's asking for it...
Anyway, after the ceremony, we got three days off right there on the spot—two nights, three days.
We should've gone home, but the girls whined it was too much hassle, so we rented out a top-tier Jeju hotel and partied. It was a blast, washing away all the training fatigue.
After our short three-day break, we headed to Jeju Port. Time to report to our unit.
The 1st Landing Battalion's base was a sea-deployed dispatch ship. Thinking about spending a year at sea already gave me a headache.
"Still, how many get to do their service traveling the world? Plus, as special ops assignees, we get tons of leave!"
Jisu said it like she was consoling my pathetic expression. She was right—special ops got three days off every month. Huge perk. Plus, eight weeks total for overseas activities during service. Pushing for more would be greedy.
"Hehe. More importantly, oppa, how do I look? This beret and uniform suit me, right?"
Jisu spun around in front of me, winking playfully. I'd fucked her plenty in that getup over vacation.
Jisu's red beret skin was perfect on her. Same for the others.
"Makes me wanna pin you down again."
"Hehe. Behave here. Eyes everywhere~!"
Jisu put on her cute act and stepped back two paces. Teasing little slut. Should I just pounce?
"Jisu, act proper."
Jueun scolded her, and Jisu shot back with a mischievous grin.
"Hey now~! Corporal Kim Jueun, talking back to a sergeant?"
Jueun wasn't a dungeon hunter, so she wore a corporal insignia unlike us.
"Eek~! Pulling rank here?"
"Ehehe~! In the army, rank is everything! Heehee!"
The two bantered playfully.
"That it?"
Rina pointed at a speedboat slicing through the blue sea. Not a fishing vessel. Soldiers in orange life vests on deck—definitely military.
A sergeant with a corporal insignia hopped off the boat, now docked smoothly at the port. Navy uniform. Our red berets stood out from afar.
"We've been waiting. Hop on. Heading straight to the dispatch ship."
The sergeant's polite tone felt weirdly off. Jisu had just said rank was everything in the army, but that wasn't true.
Hunters transcended rank. Same in society, same in the military.
Vroooom~!
The speedboat churned through the waves, speeding ahead. The port shrank to a dot behind us.
The soldiers stared at us like we were zoo monkeys. First time seeing hunters?
"Those girls are seriously hot, right?"
"Yeah. Prettier than on TV. So that guy's the harem king?"
"Must've saved a country in his past life."
Envy and jealousy floated our way. Nothing tastes sweeter than someone else's inferiority complex.
The boat rocked like hell. Seasick types would've suffered. Three hours later, a massive landing ship loomed ahead. Our unit at last.
The Special Operations Command was separate from army, navy, and air force. Army guards land, navy sea, air force sky—Special Ops specialized in infiltration and strikes.
Well, the others fought too, but figuratively speaking.
Special Ops' biggest stage was dungeons. Whenever the military deployed for dungeon outbreaks, it was nearly always them. Only Special Ops handled hunters among the four branches.
Smallest force of the three services, but wielding hunters made them powerhouse—asymmetric forces irreplaceable between nations.
Sure, a 10-rank scrub hunter was cannon fodder, but a 5-rank+ dungeon hunter equaled a regiment or more. A 1-rank was nuke-level.
Not weird—Korea's 1-rank dungeon hunter Kim Shin treated the whole planet as his teleport range. Could assassinate any head of state on a whim. Strategic value beyond nukes.
Kim Shin was special, though.
You might ask about 1-rank non-hunter soldiers, but hunter service was 20 years— one active, rest reserves. No reserve training, though.
Anyway, Special Ops got fat budgets from Defense. The 1st Landing Battalion even got Hunter Association funding. Result: the behemoth dispatch ship before us.
"Whoa~! Saw pics, but up close it's huge! That's a cruise ship, right!?"
Jisu's jaw dropped.
350m long, 60m wide, 15 decks, three energy stone generators—this beast lived up to its "sea fortress" moniker. Our speedboat looked like Gulliver's Lilliputians.
This was the 1st Landing Battalion's base and Special Ops' maritime mobile HQ: the Cheonghaejin.
Trivia: some old LST originally had the name, but got renamed after this monster launched.
Makes sense—no Korean fleet could claim a name from that floating behemoth.
As Jisu said, less warship, more moving amusement park. Powered by its hunters, it was the world's stealthiest, fastest, strongest vessel.
Internet said it solo'd a US carrier group in mock drills—no escorts or air support. Even with their hunters aboard.
Military experts called it a cruise-shaped carrier. Hunters instead of planes.
The speedboat eased up to Cheonghaejin's side. She slowed too. Rope ladders dropped from the deck.
"Climb up. Good luck!"
The sergeant shouted energetically. Sujin went first.
I was last. Rina above me. Her pert ass wiggling was quite the view.
"Oppa. Perverted thoughts?"
"Yeah. Wondering if your ass'll suddenly drop and kiss my lips."
"......No need to be that specific."
A staff sergeant awaited on deck under the sign. All red berets—our seniors. Sergeant rank. Fancy welcome.
"Welcome to Cheonghaejin!"
The deck screamed luxury cruise. Pool with loungers, basketball court.
Holy shit, even an outdoor amphitheater.
Our taxes built this...
"Boarding procedures first. Follow me."
The staff sergeant led us inside.
The ship's size housed a mini-city. Arcade shops bustled—sergeant munching crepes, corporal with ice cream. Even other branches.
Adopted daughters too. Faces... meh.
Cheonghaejin housed over 5,000: 1st Landing Battalion, Special Ops, army/navy/air force detachments, even foreign troops.
Foreigners because it doubled as UN Special Purpose Peacekeeping Force base.
They handled dungeon/monster disasters worldwide, coalition style.
US sent the most troops—hence tons of Americans after Koreans. American-friendly eats everywhere.
We hit the 10th-floor admin office. Finished boarding, then company assignments.
Five dungeon hunter companies in the battalion.
Me and Rina together; Sujin, Yeonji, Jisu in another.
Jueun was admin—headquarters company, right here.
"Good. Follow me."
Me and Rina trailed our staff sergeant escort.
"Where to?"
"Company office. Other three are waiting."
Three, huh. Wonder who?
Hoping not that asshole again?
"Aigoo! Jaesung! We're totally fated, huh!?"
Yep—shitty voice from the company office. Hwang Cheolmin.
"Oh. Same company. Nice."
Surprise: Han Seungjin too. Last guy: Jang Gun-gi, someone I knew.
Whatever—everyone here was from training anyway.